Pruning implement.



No. 719,799. PATENT ED FEB. 3, 1903.

H. A. HILL.

PRUNING IMPLEMENT.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 25, 1902. N0 MODEL.

WWW

A TTOHNE YS.

THE NORRI5 PETERS c0. morn-undo" WASHNGTON. u. c,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY AUGUSTUS HILL, OE LAWRENCE, MASSACHUSETTS.

PRUNING I MPLEMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 719,799, dated February3, 1903.

Application filed November 25, 1902. Serial No. 132,790. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY AUGUSTUS HILL,

a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Lawrence, in thecounty of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new andImproved Pruning Implement, of which the following is a full, clear, andexact description.

The purpose of my invention is to provide a simple, effective, andconveniently-operated pruning implement, so constructed that by themanipulation of opposing hinge-connected handles a spring-controlledblade will be operated in a sheath having a recess in its side toreceive the twig or branch to be cut and across which recess the bladepasses through the action of the handles'with a positive end thrust,insuring a clean and quick separation of the twig or branch.

A further purpose of the invention is to provide a readily-detachablesheath for the knife and a short knife practically concealed within andprotected by the sheath and means for removably connecting the knifeFigure 1 is a perspective View of the im Fig. 2 is a side elevationproved implement. of the implement, a portion of the body being brokenaway. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the sheath and the knife detached, aportion of the actuating-rod for the knife appearing in sectional sideelevation, said View also,

illustrating the detachable connection between the knife and the rod;and Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken practically on the line 4 4 ofFig. 2.

The body 10 of the implement is in the form of a tube, and at its innerend an offset handle 11 is firmly secured, which attached handle isprovided with ears 13, and to the said ears the upper end of an opposingoffset 12 is pivoted in any approved manner.

To the outer end of the tubular body 10 a sheath A is detachablyconnected, and the sheath consists of a tubular shank-section 14 and afiat body-section 15, closed at its marginal portion, except where itconnects with the shank 14 at what may be termed its rear edge, at whichpoint a longitudinal slot 14* is made in the sheath. At the front edgeof the sheath, near its outer end, a recess 16 is made, whereby theupper end of the sheath is given more or less of a hook formation. Atransverse recess 17 is produced in the shank 14 of the sheath, leadingfrom the longitudinal slot 14, which recess 17 when the sheath is inposition on the tubular body 10 receives a lug 18, forming a portion ofsaid body, whereby the sheath may be locked to the body; but I desire itto be understood that the locking connection between the sheath and thetubular body 10 may be changed, it being only essential that the sheathin one position can be locked to the body and in another position can beremoved therefrom.

A rod 19, which may be termed an actuating-rod, is held to slide in thebody 10, and in the normal position of the said rod its outer end is ator near the outer end of the tubular body 10. The actuating-rod 19extends inward between the handles 11 and 12, and at its inner extremitya plate 20 is preferably secured to one side. At the rear end of theplate 20a friction-roller 21 is mounted to turn.

At the outer end of the tubular body 10 a longitudinal slot 22 isproduced, and at the corresponding end of the actuating-rod 19 a ingflat at one side and beveled at the other,

so that it can be readily ground. The rear."

end of the knifeBis lessened in width tosnch an extent that it can enterand have limited movement in the outer end of the body-tube 10, and atthe contracted or inner end of the knife B a foot 26 is formed, adaptedto neatly fit in the recess 23 of the actuating-rod 19. Adjacent to thesaid foot 26 a recess 27 is formed in the body of the knife B, whichrecess 27 receives the head 24 of the actuatingrod, as is also shown inFig. 3. When the knife has been placed in locking engagement with theactuating-rod 19, as has been described and as is illustrated in Fig. 3,the sheath A is slipped over the knife, and the shank 14 of the sheathis then looked to the tubular body 10, at which time the chisel end 25of the knife B will be visible at the inner or rear edge of the recess16 in the sheath, adapted to receive the branch or twig to be out.

A box-casing 29 is secured to the fixed handle 11,against which thefriction-roller 21 travels and against which the plate 20, attached tothe actuating-rod 19, would have bearing if the friction-roller 21 wereomitted. A guideplate 30 is secured to the opposing or pivoted handle12, and the inner edge 31 of the said guide-plate adjacent to its rearend is beveled in direction of the box-casing 29, and on the inclinedplane thus formed the friction-roller 21, attached to the actuating-rod19, is adapt ed to travel when the two handles are brought together, atwhich time the rear portion of the guide-plate 30 will enter thebox-casing 29, and thus force the actuating-rod outward and cause thecutting portion of the knife to travel across the recess 16 in thesheath, and thus sever any twig or branch that may be in said recess.

The friction-roller 21, while it is preferably used to enable the deviceto operate with the least possible amount of friction, may be dispensedwith, and the inclined plane of the guide-plate 30 may be made to engagewith the inclined surface 32 at the inner end of the actuating-rod 19.Under this latter construction the actuating-rod and the knife carriedthereby will be operated in as positive a manner as when the saidfriction-roller 21 is used.

The actuating-rod 19 is returned to its normal position when pressure onthe handles 11 and 12 is relieved by means of a spring 33, coiled aroundthe rod 19, having bearing at its outer end on the handles 11 and 12 attheir point of connection and at its inner end against the plate 20, asis shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

It will be observed thatthe pruning implement described is exceedinglysimple and durable, and that after the knife has become useless from anycause it can be quickly and conveniently replaced by even aninexperienced person, and that the knife is made so short that it isexceedingly economic, and the knife is thoroughly guided in its movementby the sheath-A.

I desire it to be understood that the handle 11 may be an integralportion of the tubular body 10, if desired, instead of being attachedthereto, as shown.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1. In a pruning implement, a spring-actuated rod,pivotally-connected handles having operative connection with said rod, aknife removably attached to the said rod, and a sheath for the knife,having a recess in a side edge, across which recess the cutting-surfaceof the knife is arranged to travel, as specified. 2. A pruningimplement, consisting of a tubular body, a handle fixed to the said bodyand an opposing handle attached to the fixed handle, a box-casingsecured to the fixed handle, a guide-plate attached to the pivotedhandle, having an inclined plane, a spring-controlled rod mounted toslide in the said body and extend between the handles to an engagementwith the inclined plane of the guideplate, which guide-plate in theaction of the handles is adapted to enter the said box-casing, a knifecarried by the outer end of the actuating-rod, and a sheath detachablycon nected to the body-section and having a recess in one side acrosswhich the cutting por tion of the knife is adapted to travel, as setforth.

3. In a pruning implement, a body-section, a spring-actuated rod havingsliding movement in the body-section, handles connected with the saidbody, having movement toward each other, devices carried by the handlesfor imparting end movement to the said actuating-rod, a knife detachablyconnected to the outer portion of the actuatingrod, and a sheathattached to the body and inclosing said knife, being provided with arecess in a side edge across which the cutting portion of the said knifeis arranged to travel when the handles are pressed in direction of eachother.

4. A pruning implement, consisting of a tubular body, a handle fixed tothe body, and an opposing handle pivotally attached to the fixed handle,a box-casing secured to one handle, anda guide-plate having an inclinedinner surface, which guide-plate when the handles are brought indirection of each other is adapted to enter the box-casing, anactuating-rod held to slide in the body, a spring normally holding theactuating-rod in normal position, the actuating-rod being provided witha section for engagement with the inclined surface of said guide-plate,the outer end of the actuating-rod havinga recess made therein, a knifeprovided with a foot, adapt- IIO ed to enter the said recess in theac'tuatingrod and a recess to receive the projection from the rod formedby the recess therein, and a sheath detachably connected to the saidbody, inclosing the said knife and in which the said knife has slidingmovement, the said sheath being provided with a recess in one side edge,across which the cutting portion of the knife is adapted to travel whenthe handles are carried in direction of each 10 other, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY AUGUSTUS HILL.

Witnesses:

GEORGE MOLANE, J r., .AUDUSTINE X. DOOLEY.

